Circular knitting machine attachment



Oct. 29, 1957 E. A. COPELAND CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE ATTACl-IMENTFiled Sept. '26, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 1 EDWIN A. COPELAND BYin, MM 7 ATTORNEYS E. A. COPELAND 2,811,026

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE ATTACHMENT Filed Sept. 26, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet2 INVENTOR! EDwm A Co s LAND,

BY 54;, M

ATTORNEYS United States Patent CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE ATTACHMENTEdwin A Copeland, Newton, N. C., assignor of onethird to Calvin C.Copeland, Newton, N. C., and onethird to Quality Hosiery Mills, Inc.,Newton, N. (1., a corporation of North Carolina Application September26, 1956, Serial No. 612,251

' 13 Claims. c1. 66-43) This invention relates generally to anattachment for a circular independent needle knitting machine forchanging the yarn on said machine. While this attachment is shown inconnection with a machine manufactured by the Hemphill Company and knownas their model SCOP, it should be obvious that this invention is notlimited to use with this type of machine since the principles of theinvention may be equally applicable in other circular knitting machines.

The parts with which the present invention is shown and described aredisclosed in the patent to Lawson et al. No. 2,217,022 and the patent toSt. Pierre No. 2,679,149. These patents disclose a circular knittingmachine for knitting a stocking in which the leg thereof isreciprocatorily knit at both a main knitting station and an auxiliaryknitting station simultaneously with a complete course being knit witheach reciprocation of the needle cylinder to form a patterned leg. Thetop and foot of the stocking, on this type of machine, are knit withcontinuous rotary knitting and at the main knitting station only and theheel and toe pockets are knit reciprocatorily at the main knittingstation only.

With the use of a cotton yarn throughout the stocking it is notnecessary to change the yarn being fed during the heel and toe pocketsbut, with the ever increasing popularity of the synthetic stretch yarn,the demand has continued to increase for cotton patterned leg stockinghaving heel and toe pockets knit of a stretchable synthetic or nylonyarn such as I-Ielanca. When knitting this type of stocking on the SCOPmachine, the present practice is to knit the top, patterned leg and footwith the cotton yarn and the heel and toe with the Helanca yarn. Aftercompleting the widening operation in the toe pocket the machine has nomeans for changing the yarn before knitting the usual looper line andloopers rounds so thatthe Helanca yarn, from which the toe pocket isknit, must be used to form the looper line and loopers rounds. Thispractice causes the looper line, ordinarily formed by the knittingmachine, to disappear upon the stocking being relaxed since the looperline is formed with a stretchable yarn. Thus, the cost of having thestocking looped is several cents per dozen higher than the cost oflooping cotton stockings with a clear and distinct looper line. Duringthe looping operation the loopers rounds are clipped off, in the usualmanner, and discarded as waste and, since the Helanca yarn cost isgreater than the cost' of cotton yarn, the cost of producing this typeofstocking is increased by the waste of the Helanca yarn used in theloopers rounds.-

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a yarnchanging attachment for this type of knitting machine which provides ameans for changing the yarns being fed to the needles duringreciprocatory knitting in ice the widened courses of the toe pocket.This additional yarn change will enable the machine to form a clear anddistinct looper line from a non-stretch fabric in the usual mannerbefore completion of the toe pocket and before commencing the rotaryknitting of the loopers rounds.

It is another object of this invention to provide a means for changingthe yarn being knit during the widened portion of the toe pocket so thatthe loopers rounds may be knit with a less expensive yarn than the yarnfrom which the major portion of the toe pocket is knit.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a.

method of changing yarn during the knitting of a toe pocket requiringrelatively few parts which may be added to the knitting machine in amatter of minutes and requires only minor changes to the knittingmachine.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objectswill appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of acircular knitting machine with parts broken away;

Figure 2 is an isometric view of the auxiliary cam plate and showing thewidening picks and their operating linkage and being taken substantiallyin the direction of the arrow marked 2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an isometric view of the yarn change selector levers andbeing taken substantially in the direction of the arrow marked 3 inFigure 1;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a typical stocking produced on this typeof knitting machine and showing the usual toe opening afterlooping;

Figure 5 is a view of the foot and toe portion of the stocking shown inFigure 4 before the looping operation and as the stocking is knit on theknitting machine.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a housing or frameof the knitting machine supporting opposite ends of a rotatably mainshaft 11. A sprocket wheel 12 supporting a pattern chain 13 and having aracking gear 14 integral therewith is mounted for rotation on the mainshaft 11 and the racking gear 14 is suitably racked in a continuous andstep by step manner during operation of the knitting machine. Uponsuitable lugs, not shown, on the left-hand race (Figure 1) of thepattern chain 13 engaging the reading end of a pawl 17, a suitableracking mechanism, not shown, is released whereby the main shaft 11 isracked the desired number of steps according to the number of lugs orsize of lugs placed on the pattern chain 13. The main shaft 11 has amain pattern drum 20 and a control drum 21 fixed thereon, both of whichare rotated upon rotation of the main shaft 11 according to the desiredpattern set up on the pattern chain 13.

The upper end of the frame lit is provided with an extension 24supporting a lower bed plate 25 in which the lower end of a conventionalneedle cylinder 30 is mounted for rotation or reciprocation andconnected to the conventional driving mechanism of the knitting machineby suitable bevel gears, not shown. Respective main and auxiliary camplates 32 and 33 partially surround the needle cylinder 30 and arevertically spaced above the bed plate 25 to support respective main andauxiliary stitch cam blocks 35 and 36. The main stitch cam block 35 isradially stationary while the auxiliary stitch cam block 36 is radiallymovable relative to the needle cylinder 30 and the radial movement isunder control of suitable conventional pattern mechanism, not shown. Theupper end of the needle cylinder 30 is surrounded by the usual sinkercap and latch ring 41. The latch ring 41 is provided with a pair ofthroat openings, not shown, one of which is in substantial verticalalinernent with the main stitch cam block 35 and the other in verticalalinement with the auxiliary stitch cam block 36 and both of which areprovided with the usual yarn feeding fingers, not shown.

The yarn feeding fingers at the left-hand side of the knitting machineor the auxiliary feeding station are controlled and used only during thereciprocatory knitting in the pattern area by an auxiliary pattern yarncontrol drum, not shown, and in a conventional manner as shown anddescribed in said Patent No. 2,217,022. The yarn feeding fingers at themain feeding station, at the righthand side of Figure 1, are controlledduring the pattern area of the sock by a main patternyarn control drumthrough a plurality of yarn change lever operating levers 52 (Figures 1and 3) engaging the drum 50 or suitable cams placed thereon. The yarnchange lever operating levers 52 engage the tail or free ends ofcorresponding yarn change levers 54 .(Figure 3), the inner ends of whichengage the yarn feeding fingers, not shown. A drum similar to the drum50 and yarn change lever operating levers similar to the levers 52 areprovided at the auxiliary feeding station and the two drums and leverscomprise a secondary yarn changing means used to change the yarn feedingfingers at both feeding stations during knitting of the reciprocatorilyknit patterned leg of the stocking.

The yarn feeding fingers at the main feeding station are alsocontrolled, at times, by a primaryyarn feeding means which includes themain pattern drum 20 and levers and 61 engaging suitable cams placedthereon for changing the yarn feeding fingers during portions of thestocking other than the patterned area. The linkage for controlling themain yarn feeding fingers from the main pattern drum as well as from themain pattern yarn control drum 50 is clearly shown in Figure 39 in saidPatent No. 2,217,022 while the mechanism for controlling the auxiliaryyarn feeding fingers from the left-hand or auxiliary pattern yarncontrol drum and an auxiliary drum, not shown, on the main shaft 11 isclearly shown in Figure 40 of said Patent No. 2,217,022.

A third means for operating the yarn feeding fingers during the patternportion of the stocking is shown and described in said Patent No.2,679,149 and therefore only a brief summary of its operation and onlythe essential parts will be described in this application. The thirdmeans for operating the yarn fingers is provided in order to varythecolor of yarn which may be used in the various solid color areas in thepatterned leg of the stocking but this attachment isnot effective inchanging the yarn feeding fingers during reciprocatory single feedknitting in the heel and toe pockets. The pattern chain 13, on itsright-hand race, has the usual lugs 65 suitably spaced according to thedesired pattern and engageable by the reading end of a pivoted rockerarm 66, the free end of which is connected to the lower end of aconnecting link 67. The upper end of the link 67 is connected to thelower end of a bell crank 70 pivoted on the knitting machine as at 71and the upper end of which is suitably connected by a link 72 to thelower end of a lever 73 (Figures l and 3). The upper end of the lever 73is fixed on one end of a yarn change selector shaft 74, rotatablymounted in the upper ends of a pair of upstanding supports 75, the lowerends of which are fixed on the knitting machine. The yarn changeselector shaft is provided with suitable yarn change selector lockingfingers for engaging and actuating selected ones'of the yarn changelever operating levers 52. The outer end of the shaft 74 has the upperend of a downwardly extending lever fixed thereon, the lower end ofwhich has one end of a connecting link 86 oscillatably mounted thereon.The opposite end of the link 86 is connected to a shaft, similar to theshaft 74, above the auxiliary yarn feeding fingers,

not shown, for controlling the yarn change levers and the yarn feedingfingers at the auxiliary feeding station and during the patternedportions of the stocking.

The auxiliary cam plate 33 suports, in addition to the auxiliary stitchcam block 36, a widening pick bracket 90 for supporting a pair ofwidening picks 91 and 92 in a conventional manner (Figure 2). Thewidening pick bracket 90 also oscillatably supports a widening pickthrow-out shaft 95 which has conventional linkage thereon to render thewidening picks 91 and 92 active or inactive according to a predeterminedpattern. One end of the shaft 95 has one end of a lever 96 fixablysecured thereto, the opposite end of which is fixed to the upper end ofa widening pick control rod 97 which extends down wardly in Figures 1and 2 and the lower end of which is adapted to ride on the control drum21 and to be, at times, raised by suitable cams on the control drum 21.Raising of the rod 97, by cams on the drum 21, will rotate the shaft 95and allow the widening picks 91 and 92 to move to operative position.The cams on the drum 21 thus provide a first means for starting awidening operation.

All of the parts heretofore described are conventional parts of theHemphill model SCOP machine shown and described in said Patents No.2,217,022 and No. 2,679,149 and it is with these parts that the presentinvention is adapted to operate. Referring to Figure 4, there is shown atypical Argyle type mans half hose H which is one of the many patternsthat may be knit on this type of knitting machine and which includes arotary knit top 100 which usually has an elastic yarn incorporatedtherein, a patterned leg 101 having solid colored areas 102 through 108,a reciprocatorily knit heel pocket 110, a rotary knit foot 111 and areciprocatorily knit toe pocket 112.

The machine as described in said Patent No. 2,217,022, knits the top 100by rotary knitting and single feed knitting at the main knitting stationwith the yarn feeding fingers being controlled by the primary yarnfeeding means. The pattern 101, including the areas 102 through 108, isknit from yarns at both knitting stations with the yarn feeding fingersbeing controlled by the secondary yarn feeding means through the mediumof the yarn change lever operating levers and pattern yarn con troldrums. The yarn feeding fingers are also controlled, during the patternportion 101, by the third yarn feeding means through the link 67, pawl66 and lugs 65 on the pattern chain 13. Upon completing the patternportion 101, the machine switches into reciprocatory knitting to knitthe heel pocket and if a yarn change is desired in order to knit thepocket 110 from a different colored or different type yarn, such as astretch yarn, the yarn change has to be effected by movement of the mainpattern drum 20 since only the main stitch cams are in operation and themachine will be knitting single feed. Approximately half of the needlesare selected to knit during the heel pocket and the number of needlesknitting in each partial course are reduced in a narrowing operation byconventional narrowing picks, not shown. After completing the narrowinga widening operation is started by moving the widening picks 91 and 92to operative position by a cam on the control drum 21 through the rod 97to join the widenedportion to the narrowed portion to form a suture line115. Upon the heel pocket 110 being completed, .the yarn, fed at themain feeding station, may again be changed to another color or toanother type of yarn to knit the foot portion 111 by rotary single feedknitting by another movement of the main pattern drum 20.

After the desired'length of foot has been knitted,.thev

the yarn used in the foot 110. The yarn change, at the start of the toepocket 112, is effected by again moving the main pattern drum 20 anotherstep to cause the yarn feeding fingers, not shown, to be changed. Anarrowing operation then takes place in the same manner in which thenarrowing operation in the heel pocket 110 was effected, followed by awidening operation to form a suture line 117 between the narrowed andwidened portions in the toe pocket 112. In the widened portion of thetoe pocket 112 operation of the widening picks 91 and 92 is started by amovement of the control drum 21 through the rod 97 and shaft 95. Afterthe desired number of partial courses are made in the widened portion ofthe toe pocket 112 the machine again switches to rotary knitting and acourse of loose stitches are formed to provide a looper line 121. Afterthe looper line a few circular courses are knit at the main knittingstation to form the usual loopers rounds 120 (Figure The looper line 121is provided to guide the operator in the looping operation for aligningthe loose stitches on the points of the looping machine and the loopersrounds 120 are clipped ofi during the looping operation and discarded.

Thus, in the commercial machine and as shown and described in the twoPatents No. 2,217,022 and No. 2,679,149, the only means shown anddescribed for changing the yarn feeding fingers during single feedreciprocatory knitting in the heel and toe pockets 110 and 112 is bymovement of the main pattern drum 20. Thus, if it is desired to use adifferent type of yarn in the heel and toe pockets, such as a stretchyarn, there is no provision, in the present machine, for changing yarnduring the widened portion of the toe pocket 112 in order to knit thelast few partial courses, the looper line 121 and the loopers rounds 120from a non-stretch yarn.

The present invention requires only a relatively few parts and is simplyapplied without any major change to the mechanism of the knittingmachine. These parts include a collar 125 (Figure 2) fixed on the rearend of the widening pick throw-out shaft 95 and which has the upper endof an L-shaped lever 126 fixed thereto. The horizontal portion of thelever 126 is provided with a pair of spaced collars 130 fixed thereonand a collar 131 loosely mounted between the collars 130. The collar 131has one end of a link 132 fixed thereto, the medial portion of whichextends behind the needle cylinder 30, in Figure l, and the opposite endof which is provided with a pair of spaced collars 133 and 134 fixedthereon (Figure 3). The collars 133 and 134 confine one leg of a bentbracket 136, one end of which is loosely penetrated by the connectinglink 132 and the opposite end of which is fixed on the lower end of thelever 85 (Figure 3). The only other change in the mechanism requires theaddition of a special lug 140 on the right-hand side of the links of thepattern chain 13 and which special lug 146 is higher than theconventional lugs 65.

In the knitting of a hose as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the knittingmachine operates in the usual manner in knitting the top 100, thepattern leg portion 101 and upon starting the narrowed portion of theheel pocket 110 the yarn is changed from the cotton yarn with which thetop 101 and the pattern portion 101 was knit and a stretchable yarn isintroduced to knit the heel pocket 11%. The yarn is changed at thispoint by a conventional movement of the main pattern drum 20 and afterthe desired number of narrowed partial courses are knit in the heelpocket 111) a conventional move ment of the control drum 21 is effectedin order to render the winding picks 91 and 92 operative and start awidening operation to complete the heel pocket 110. Upon completion ofthe heel pocket 110 a yarn change is again effected by movement of themain pattern drum 20 during the last partial course of the heel pocket119 and as the knitting machine goes into rotary knitting to knit thefoot portion 111 with cotton yarn.

The foot portion 111 is then knitted by rotary knitting in the usualmanner for the desired number of courses,-

depending upon the size foot desired. The toe pocket is then started inthe conventional manner and the yarn change is effected by anothermovement of the main pattern drum 2% so that the narrowed portion of thetoe pocket 112 will be knit from a stretch yarn. After the desirednumber of narrowed partial courses have been knit the usual orconventional practice is to cause the widening picks 91 and 92 to startoperating by movement of the control drum 21 but, if the widening picks91 and 92 are started in this manner there will not be a movement of thecontrol drum 21 and the main pattern drum 20 when it is desired tochange the yarn before completing the widening operation in the toepocket 112. trol drum 21 and pattern drum 20 to change yarns, at a latertime, the widening picks 91 and 92 are moved into operative position atthis time by the lever 66 engaging the extra high special lug 140 of thepattern chain 13. Movement of the lever 66 will lower the rod 67, inFigure 1, move the bell crank 70 in a clockwise direction, move theshaft 74 in a counter-clockwise direction and pull the connecting link132 from left to right, in Figure 1. As the link 132 is moved from leftto right the shaft 95 will be moved in a counter-clockwise direction andthrough the conventional intervening connections release the wideningpicks 91 and 92 to operate in the widened portion of the toe pocket 112.The high lug 1 10 on the chain 13 thus provides a second means forstarting a widening operation.

After substantially all of the widened partial courses in the toe pocket112 have been knit with the stretch yarn or until only approximatelyfour partial courses are left in the widened portion of the toe pocket,a yarn change is effected, by movement of the main pattern drum 2t) andcontrol drum 21, this movement being the one that was reservedpreviously by effecting operation of the widening picks 91 and 92 fro-mthe lug 140 on the pattern chain 13. Thus, the stretch yarn is removedat the line indicated at 150, in Figures 4 and 5, and the remaining fewor, in this case, four partial courses in the widened portion of the toepocket 112 are knit from the cotton yarn.

After completion of the toe pocket 112 the conventional mechanism on theknitting machine switches the needle cylinder 31) to rotary motion andthen causes the needles to draw extra long or loose stitches for onecomplete course to form the looper line 121. Then a few completecourses, usually sixteen, are knit to form the usual loopers rounds toaid the looper in placing the knitted hose on the points of the loopingmachine. After the toe pocket has been looped, in the conventionalmanner along the line 151 in Figure 4, the loopers rounds 120, clippedoff during the looping operation, are discarded as waste.

It is thus seen that I have provided a novel means for changing yarnsbefore completion of the toe pocket of a stocking and during thewidening operation which provides a clear and distinct looper line andwherein the loopers rounds, which are wasted after the loopingoperation, may be knit from a less expensive yarn than the expensiveyarn used in the toe pocket. The changing of the yarns during thewidened courses of the toe pocket being made possible by slightmodification of the machine so that the widening picks may be renderedoperative by a movement of the pattern chain.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention and, al though specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not forpurposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in theclaims.

I claim:

1. In a circular independent needle knitting machine In order topreserve this move of the conhaving' yarn feeding fingers for feedingyarns to said needle s, a primary yarn changing means, a secondary yarnchanging means, a third yarn changing means and a first means forstarting a widening operation; the combination therewith of a secondmeans for starting a widening operation, and linking means connectingsaid third yarn changing means and said second means for starting awidening operation.

2. In a circular independent needle knitting machine having yarn feedingfingers for feeding yarns to said needles, a pattern chain, a primaryyarn changing means, a secondary yarn changing means, a third yarnchanging means under control of said pattern chain and a first means forstarting a widening operation; the combination therewith of a secondmeans for starting a widening operation also under control of saidpattern chain, and means interconnecting said third yarn changing meansand said second means for starting a widening operation.

3. In a circular independent needle knitting machine having a patternchain, a main pattern drum, a control drum, yarn feeding fingers forfeeding yarns to said needles, a primary feedingfinger changing meanscontrolled by said main pattern drum, a secondary feeding fingerchanging means, operation of said secondary feeding finger changingmeans being under control of said primary feeding finger changing means,a third feeding finger changing means under control of said patternchain and a first means for starting a widening operation under controlof said control drum; the combination therewith of a second means forstarting a widening operation also under control of said pattern chain,and linkage connecting said third feeding finger changing means and saidsecond means for starting a widening operation.

4. A widening pick control system for a circular independent needleknitting machine having a pattern chain and a control drum controlled bysaid pattern chain which includes; the combination of first wideningpick control linkage operated by said control drum and a second wideningpick control linkage operated by said pattern chain.

5. A widening pick control system for a circular independent needleknitting machine having a pattern chain, a control drum controlled bysaid pattern chain and a widening pick control which includes; thecombination of first means for controlling said widening pick controloperated by said control drum and second means for controlling saidWidening pick control operated by said pattern chain.

6. A widening pick control system for a circular independent needleknitting machine having a pattern chain, a main pattern drum, a controldrum controlled by said pattern chain, primary yarn changing meansoperated by said main pattern drum, secondary yarn changing means undercontrol of said primary yarn changing means, third yarn changing meanscontrolled by said pattern chain and a widening pick control whichincludes; the combination of first means for controlling said wideningpick control operated by said control drum and second means forcontrolling said widening pick control operated through said third yarnchanging means.

7. In a circular independent needle knitting machine having a patternchain, a main pattern drum, a control drum, said pattern drum andcontrol drum both controlled by said pattern chain, a primary yarnchanging means controlled by said main pattern drum, a secondary yarnchanging means to produce a pattern stocking leg, second means beingunder control of said primary means, a third yarn changing meansoperating directly upon said second yarn changing means, said third yarnchanging means being controlled by said pattern chain, widening picks,first widening pick control means controlled from said control drum; thecombination therewith of second widening pick control means foroperating said widening picks through said third yarn change means andfrom said pattern chain, and linkage connecting said third yarn changemeans and said widening picks.

8. In a circular independent needle knitting machine having a patternchain, first lugs on said pattern chain, a main pattern drum, a controldrum, a main shaft on which said pattern drum and said control drum aremounted, movement of said main shaft controlled by said first lugs onsaid pattern chain, a primary yarn changing means controlled by movementof said main pattern drum, a secondary yarn changing means to produce apatterned stocking leg, said second means being under control of saidprimary means, a third yarn changing means operating directly upon saidsecond yarn changing means and said third yarn changing means controlledby said first lugs on the pattern chain, widening picks, widening pickcontrol means controlled at predetermined times from said control drum;the combination therewith of linkage connecting said third yarn changemeans and said widening pick control means and second lugs on thepattern chain for operating said widening pick control at predeterminedtimes through said linkage connecting the third yarn change means.

9. In a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder, needlesvertically movable in said needle cylinder, a main feeding station andan auxiliary feeding station, a pattern chain, widening picks, a firstyarn control means for controlling yarns fed to the needles at said mainfeeding station, a second yarn control means at both knitting stationsfor controlling the yarn fed to the needles to produce a patterned legstocking, a third yarn control means at both knitting stations forcontrolling the yarn changing during the patterned leg portion and beingunder control of the pattern chain, a yarn control drum forcontrollingthe operation of the widening picks during the formation ofthe heel and toe pockets; the combination therewith of an auxiliarycontrol for the widening picks operated by the main pattern chain.

10. In a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder, needlesvertically movable in said needle cylinder, a main feeding station andan auxiliary feeding station, a pattern chain, widening picks, a firstyarn control and means for controlling yarns fed to the needles at saidmain feeding station, a second yarn control means at both knittingstations for controlling the yarn fed to the needles to produce apatterned leg stocking, a third yarn control means at both knittingstations for controlling the yarn changing during the patterned legportion and being under control of the pattern chain, a yarn controldrum for controlllng the operation of the widening picks during theformation of the heel and toe pockets; the combination therewith oflinkage connecting the widening picks and the third yarn control meansand an'auxiliary control for the widening picks operated through thethird yarn control means by the main pattern chain.

11. A method of knitting a circular knit stocking having rotary knitportions knit of a first yarn and reciprocatorily knit heel and toepockets knit from a second yarn; comprising the steps of knitting thecomplete narrowed and widened portion of said heel pocket from thesecond yarn,.knitting the complete narrowed portion of the toe pocketfrom said second yarn, knitting only part of the widened portion of thetoe pocket from said second yarn and knitting the remainder of thewidened portion of the toe pocket from said first yarn.

12. A method of knitting a circular knit stocking having rotary knitportions and reciprocatorily knit heel and toe pockets; comprising thesteps of knitting the rotary knit portions with a non-stretch yarn,knitting the complete narrowed and widened portion of said heel pocketfrom a stretchable yarn, knitting the complete narrowed portions of thetoe pocket from said stretchable yarn, knitting only part of the widenedportion, of the toe pocket from said stretchable yarn andknitting theremainder of the widened portion of the toe pocket from said non-stretchyarn.

13. A method of knitting a circular knit stocking having a rotary knittop, reciprocatorily knit patterned leg, reciprocatorily knit narrowedand widened heel pocket, rotary knit foot, reciprocatorily knit toepocket and rotary knit loopers rounds; comprising the steps of knittingthe rotary knit top, reciprocatorily knit patterned leg, rotary knitfoot, part of the reciprocatorily knit widened portion of the toe pocketand loopers rounds 10 2,679,149

from a non-stretch yarn, and knitting the complete narrowed and widenedportions of the heel pocket, the complete narrowed portion and only partof the widened portion of the toe pocket from a stretchable yarn.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lawsonet a1. Oct. 8, 1940 St. Pierre May 25, 1954

